ILAN: Discovering Antarctic Life Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Object of the Game
• Component List
• Description of Components
  • Biodiversity Cards
  • Factors Cards
  • Wooden Cubes
  • Score Board
• Initial Setup
• Starting Player
• Turn Sequence
  • 1) Play Cards in the Ecosystem
    • Biodiversity Cards
    • Factors Cards
  • 2) Collect Trophic Web
  • 3) Draw Cards
• Scores and Winner
• Glossary
• Summarized Turn Order
• Passive Ability Icons

Introduction

In ILAN: Exploring Antarctic Life we will take the role of a scientific expedition whose mission is to study the different forms of life that inhabit the fascinating Antarctic Continent, both on the surface and in the air and under the sea.

The players will be privileged witnesses of the interactions between species, the environment and their struggle for survival, investigating everything from microscopic algae that feed the planet with oxygen, to the impressive cetaceans that dazzle with their great size. In addition, they will be able to witness the natural and human factors that condition the ecosystems and modify the behavior and life of the species.

ILAN invites us to get to know this little-known continent, to understand its importance for the rest of the planet and how each one of us can contribute to the preservation of its natural heritage.

Object of the Game

The object of the game is to record the greatest and most varied number of species and their interactions, as well as natural and human factors that affect the ecosystem, in order to obtain the 40 Victory Points (VP) necessary for the success of the expedition.

Component List

• 78 BIODIVERSITY cards
• 30 FACTORS cards: 16 natural and 14 human
• 5 wooden cubes
• 1 score board
• 1 Rulebook

Description of Components

Biodiversity Cards

These are cards that represent the flora and fauna present in the Antarctic ecosystems and are classified by colors:

1. Green: They are producers, that is, they produce their own food through chemical processes such as photosynthesis. They can be Microalgae (0) or Macroalgae (1).

2. Blue: They represent the invertebrates, that is, those that do not have a spine. If they live on the sea floor they are Benthic (2), while Pelagic (3) ones live in midwater or near the surface.

3. Yellow: They represent the fish, which may also be Benthic (4) or Pelagic (5).

4. Orange: They represent a group of medium-sized predators. They are classified into Birds (6) and Pinnipeds (7).

5. Red: They represent the large marine mammals, classified into Large Pinnipeds (8) and Cetaceans (9).

The abilities of the interactions box can be of two types:

a) Active ability: Written in blue color. It is executed only when the card is put into play, after which it cannot be used again unless the card is REACTIVATED by another card.

b) Passive ability: Written in purple color. This type of ability is active permanently and is executed every time the indicated condition is met.

IMPORTANT: A player may not have, at the end of his turn, more than six BIODIVERSITY cards in his hand, nor more than eight cards in his ECOSYSTEM; otherwise, he must discard his choice of the surplus cards until he is within the permitted limit. Discarded cards are considered to have completed their life cycle, and therefore are considered dead.

Factors Cards

These cards represent both natural and human factors that affect the Antarctic ecosystems. Each card has a description of what it represents and an action that must be performed when it is put into play.

Wooden Cubes

Each player chooses a cube that represents one of the scientific expeditions that is carrying out observations in a particular ANTARCTIC ECOSYSTEM, according to the color:

• (lime green) Bahía Sur, Isla Doumer (South Bay, Doumer Island): In the middle zone of the Antarctic peninsula the Yelcho base is located, administered by the Chilean Antarctic Institute, which has aquariums and laboratories for studies of the marine biology of the place.

• (red) Bahía Fildes, Isla Rey Jorge, Shetland del Sur (Fildes Bay, King George Island, South Shetland): King George Island is one of the most populated places in Antarctica. There coexist the Chilean bases Profesor Julio Escudero of the Chilean Antarctic Institute, Eduardo Frei of the Air Force of Chile and the captaincy of port Fildes of the Navy of Chile. In addition, a few kilometers away are the bases of Russia, Uruguay, Korea, China, Argentina, Poland, Peru, Brazil and the United States.

• (green) Rada Covadonga, Península Antártica (Covadonga Harbour, Antarctic Peninsula): This ecosystem is located in the north of the Antarctic peninsula. There is the O'Higgins Base of the Chilean Army, which has laboratories for biology, geology and meteorology studies.

• (magenta) Bahía Chile, Isla Greenwich, Shetland del Sur (Chile Bay, Greenwich Island, South Shetland): This bay is the site of the Arturo Prat Base of the Navy of Chile. It is the first base of the State of Chile developed in Antarctica. In addition to its historical importance, in its surroundings it is possible to develop activities linked to geology, marine biology and sedimentology.

• (orange) Bahía Margarita, Isla Adelaida (Margarita Bay, Adelaide Island): This ecosystem constitutes one of the largest bays of Antarctica. Located in the southern portion of the peninsula, Margarita Bay houses scientific study bases of different countries. In the southern zone of Adelaide Island is the Teniente Carvajal base. In addition, in the sector are the bases Rothera of the United Kingdom and San Martín of Argentina. It is one of the areas of the planet that has changed the most due to climate change.

Score Board

It represents the progress of the scientists' expeditions in their ECOSYSTEMS. The score represents the level of success of their research and the data they have been able to observe. During the game, those who gain points must advance their wooden cube of their color the number of spaces that corresponds to the score earned.

Initial Setup

1. BOARD: The Score Board is laid out in the center of the table and within reach of everyone. Then, each player chooses a cube of a color, and places it on the score board, on the space that corresponds to the "Military Base".

2. STARTING HAND: Three BIODIVERSITY cards and one FACTORS card are dealt to each player. These cards constitute the player's HAND and must remain hidden from the rest of the players until they are put into play.

3. CURRENT:

"The Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is a marine current of relatively cold waters that flows from west to east around Antarctica, that is, in the same direction as the rotation movement."

Three BIODIVERSITY cards are placed on one side of the score board with the illustration side up (face up). These cards represent the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and are available for all players to interact with them, through the abilities of the cards they put into play.

There must always be a minimum of 3 cards in the CURRENT; otherwise they must be replenished from the BIODIVERSITY deck, until the minimum is completed.

At the end of a turn there may remain more than 3 BIODIVERSITY cards in THE CURRENT, with no maximum restriction.

4. DECKS:

Beside the CURRENT, the rest of the BIODIVERSITY and FACTORS cards are placed face down and in separate piles.

Starting Player

The player whose birthday is closest will be the starting player. From this player, turns continue to the left, in clockwise direction.

Turn Sequence

1) Play Cards in the Ecosystem

On each turn players must put cards into play, that is, lay down a card from their hand on the table, so that all the other players can see it. Then the name of the card and the interactions are read aloud, at least, and the indications described on the card are executed.

Biodiversity Cards

On each turn a BIODIVERSITY card must mandatorily be played. If a player does not have this type of card at the start of his turn, he may draw a BIODIVERSITY card and put it into play immediately. Only one BIODIVERSITY card may be played per turn, unless some card allows playing an additional one.

The sum of the cards put into play by the same player determine the player's ECOSYSTEM. The sum of all the ECOSYSTEMS and of the CURRENT is called CARDS IN PLAY.

The interactions of the BIODIVERSITY cards can affect both species of the CURRENT and species of another player's ECOSYSTEM. They cannot affect the cards of one's own ECOSYSTEM, unless the card indicates otherwise.

Factors Cards

Optionally, before or after playing a BIODIVERSITY card, one FACTORS card may be played per turn.

2) Collect Trophic Web

If at the end of a player's turn, with the cards of his ECOSYSTEM, a trophic web of four or five different colors can be formed, they may be exchanged for points, provided that the web contains a card of (0) or (1) (green).

To collect a TROPHIC WEB, the cards must be sent to the discard pile and the number of points corresponding to the trophic web must be advanced on the Score Board (see the Scores and Winner section). Cards used in a web are not considered dead.

(Illustrated examples: a Trophic Web of 4 colors; a Trophic Web of 5 colors.)

3) Draw Cards

At the end of each turn a card must be drawn from the BIODIVERSITY or FACTORS deck. With this action the turn is considered finished.

Scores and Winner

To win the game 40 Victory Points (VP) must be obtained, that is, the first player to complete a lap of the SCORE BOARD will be the winner. The ways of obtaining points are the following:

• Forming trophic webs: Trophic webs grant 7 VP if they have 4 colors and 11 VP if they have 5.

  4 colors = 7 VP; 5 colors = 11 VP

• Interactions of biodiversity cards: The abilities of the cards can grant points, according to the indications of each ability.

• Factors Cards: Factors cards grant points always and when the indication of the card specifies it.

Glossary

• Animal: Any BIODIVERSITY card between (2) and (9).
• Steal: The player who executes this action takes a card from another player and takes it to his game.
• Shuffle: Return one or more BIODIVERSITY or FACTORS cards to their respective deck and then mix all the cards.
• Cards in play: All the cards revealed that are on the table, both cards played by all players, and the cards of the CURRENT.
• Change of Ecosystem: Each time a card passes from the ECOSYSTEM of a player to another, or to the CURRENT.
• Dead cards: All the cards that go to the discard, without considering those that go for the formation of some TROPHIC WEB.
• Current: The cards of the center; these cards are in play and can always be interacted with through the interactions of BIODIVERSITY or FACTORS cards.
• Devour: Take a card from the table, that is not from the player's own ECOSYSTEM, and send it to the discard. These cards are considered dead.
• Ecosystem: Corresponds to all the cards in play that belong to the same player.
• Organism: Any BIODIVERSITY card.
• VP: They are the Victory Points, which allow advancing on the Score Board.
• Draw: Refers to taking a card at random from the top of the BIODIVERSITY or FACTORS deck and leaving it in the hand of the player who draws.

Summarized Turn Order

1. Play a card of each type in any order: a) BIODIVERSITY (mandatory) b) FACTORS (optional)
2. Collect a "TROPHIC WEB" if possible.
3. Draw a BIODIVERSITY or FACTORS card.

Passive Ability Icons

These icons help to quickly identify the Passive Abilities of the Biodiversity cards.

• (icon) Grants VP if the organism changes ecosystem.
• (icon) Grants additional VP if it is used in a Trophic Web.
• (icon) This card has a defensive ability.
• (icon) Grants VP if a specific species enters play.
• (icon) Allows playing additional cards.
• (icon) Grants VP on the active player's turn.
• (icon) This card decreases the VP of other players.
• (icon) Grants VP when a specific species dies.